Two Year Full-Time RV Anniversary

Our second year of full-time RV life was another excellent adventure! We have visited over 32 states so far, and look forward to eventually getting to all 50 and Canada too. We feel very fortunate that we still very happy with the RV we chose, a 43′ Newmar Dutchstar Motorhome and we plan to continue this journey for the foreseeable future.

Here are a few facts from our 2nd year of full-time RV life:

9,964 miles driven in our RV, an average of 830 miles per month
11,281 miles driven in our tow vehicle; 940 miles per month
28 states in our 2nd year (lots of duplicate states due to family visits)

58 campgrounds:
44 RV parks
8 state parks
4 county parks
1 national park
1 Free site (Mike’s Mom’s house)
**Note: Less stays in State, County, and COE’s due to COVID-19

Longest stay: 55 days in Ft. Myers, Fl

Average stay per campsite: 6 days

We visited 5 National parks and countless National Monuments, Memorials, Landmarks, Historic sites

Our full-time lifestyle continues to be focused on balance and keeping things simple. We are retired, so there is no need for us to rush to destinations and visit every tourist attraction. We try to take our time and enjoy each location, so we can relax and stick to healthy routines. We travel an average of 3 ½ to 4 hours to each new destination and normally stay for a week, unless we have a family event or other commitment. We definitely save money on diesel by driving less, which of course is better for the environment, and frequently obtain additional discounts at RV resorts for staying for a week or more. In the winter, we like to stay at each campsite for a month or more, which is also more economical. In 2021, we are going to stay in one campsite for 4 months, with a few side trips to see if this works for us.

Our primarily tool for RV trip planning is RV Trip Wizard. We tend to organize our journey by seasons, and visits home to the mid west to see family in the fall and spring avoiding the bad weather. In our experience, in order to stay in popular National and State Parks & nice campgrounds in prime winter destinations, we need to book them six to twelve months in advance. We review other sources such as Campendium, RV Life, RV Park, Corp of Engineer campgrounds, FMCA and general internet searches. Our memberships with Escapees, Good Sam, KOA, and FMCA offer camping discounts, which is something we consider when booking sites. We always look for campgrounds close to trails so we can bike, run, and hike without having to get in our car and drive. We are definitely “glampers”, so full hook-up sites are our preference, however, we are open to partial or no hook-ups, if it is a great destination.

RV maintenance and cleanliness are pretty high on our priority list. In addition to routine tasks, we have have monthly, quarterly annual checklists that we follow pretty religiously to keep our RV in top condition. We schedule maintenance when we are visiting family, just in case they need to keep the RV overnight, which has worked out great so far. The only big expense we had this year was to replace all three air conditioners. Mike and his brother Steve took on a big DIY project to replace our slide toppers, which turned out great, but was more difficult than anticipated. We also had a new windshield installed, which thankfully was covered by insurance. It is an amazing how often rocks can hit an RV windshield while driving! During routine RV maintenance, it was discovered that our front passenger tire had sustained some damage. We are very fortunate that this issue was found, as it could have caused a potentially serious issue. Our favorite purchases this year were a new camera for Mike (Nikon D7500) and an Outland Fire Pit to keep us warm while we read by the fire at night. We also joined the TSD logistics RV fuel program this year which has saved us even more money than our Pilot/Flyer Tigers discount program on Diesel fuel.

Health and fitness are very important to us, so we really try to focus on eating right and getting regular exercise. We use the nearby biking/running/hiking trails for our cardio. We travel with weights and exercise equipment to make sure we also get in regular strength workouts. We joined Planet fitness last year, but obviously have not used much this year, as gyms have been closed. Fortunately we have a son-in-law and friends who are fitness professionals, and You-Tube Videos that have given us workouts to keep in shape during this pandemic. We are both very pleased that we have not gained any weight in our two years of this lifestyle and are both stronger than when we started.

Covid 19 definitely made our second year more challenging. Since we like to plan our travel well in advance, we needed to be more flexible and make alternate arrangements when necessary. The most difficult part was staying on top of different state restrictions. We did have to get Covid-19 tests and drive around some states, but overall, it was very manageable. We are very grateful things always seemed to work out. However, it was a bit sad to miss out on some of the state and county parks we were planning on staying at and of course not being able to visit all attractions. The good news is that eventually, we will be able to return to most of these states when the pandemic is finally over and enjoy the company of other campers and friends! We know we have it really good as so many struggle with illness and job loss.

Life is good! We are so grateful that we are able to live this wonderful lifestyle and we appreciate your support!!! If you want to find our more about our journey check out our blog posts going back to 2016 or contact us personally through our website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

For our 2 year full-time RV anniversary, we are having a GIVEAWAY to share some of our favorite small business products that we know you will love too!

EACH ENTRY PROVIDES A MEAL TO THE HUNGRY THROUGH FEEDING AMERICA

Grand Prize (1 Winner)
WHAT YOU WIN:
-Roamin’ with the Romes Shirt (L/XL)
-$50 @wheregrassisgreener Gift Card
-River Birch Candles Best Sellers(Lemon, Lily & Coconut Bourbon) or a $50 River Birch gift card
-Set of 3 Teas and Infuser- $17
-Total Wellness Fitness Journal
– Jar of Matches (your choice of color)

2ND PLACE (5 Winners): choose 1 of the following options:
-Choice of Organic Loose Leaf Tea from @riverbirchcandles with Infuser Ball
-@riverbirchcandles Candle of Choice OR wax melt of choice
-“Total Wellness” Fitness Journal by Shane Washington
-$25 @wheregrassisgreener Gift Card
-@roaminwiththeromes Shirt (L/XL)

HOW YOU WIN:
Do any one or more of the following to be eligible to win. Each action gives you a chance to win!!
-share our Giveaway post on your IG & FB stories & tag @roaminwiththeromes & @riverbirchcandles, so we know it!
-follow@roaminwiththeromes
-follow @riverbirchcandles
-follow @wheregrassisgreener
-tag a friend below
-subscribe to Roamin’ with the Romes Blog (link in our bio)
-show us love by liking and commenting on as many of our IG & FB photos as you can

Ends Friday 8/21 at 11:59pm EST. Open to all continental US residents over the age of 18. Winners will be chosen and informed by DM on Saturday 8/22.